1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods for rapidly molding chocolate products.
2. Related Background Art
Documents and references pertaining to the field of this invention are cited in this disclosure with a full citation for each; and, each cited document is hereby incorporated by reference.
Chocolates and chocolate-like compositions having a desired three-dimensional shape (herein referred to as xe2x80x9cmolded chocolatesxe2x80x9d) are conventionally produced by molding. Molding is the casting of liquid chocolate into molds (plastic or metal) followed by cooling and demolding. The finished chocolate may be a solid block, a hollow shell, or a shell filled with a confectionery material such as fondant, fudge or soft caramel (Chocolate, Cocoa and Confectionery: Science and Technology by Bernard W. Minifie, Third Edition, page 183).
The term molding includes methods wherein chocolate is deposited into molds, allowed to cool and hardened into solid pieces. The chocolates used in molding processes usually can be somewhat more viscous than coating chocolates since the chocolate can be vibrated and/or forced into a mold over a longer period of time than allowed in enrobing, for example. However, chocolate molded with food inclusions generally must be as fluid as coating chocolates.
Molded chocolate products are conventionally produced by depositing tempered chocolate having a liquid fat phase into molds, allowing the chocolate to cool and harden into solid pieces before demolding the chocolate (Chocolate, Cocoa and Confectionery: Science and Technology by Bernard W. Minifie, Third Edition, pages 198-206). The most commonly used method of producing a shaped chocolate involves the following sequential steps:
A. heating the chocolate to soften, i.e., melting of the fat phase;
B. tempering the chocolate;
C. depositing the tempered chocolate into a mold;
D. shaking the mold to remove air bubbles and fully distribute the chocolate in the mold cavity;
E. cooling to harden the chocolate; and
F. removing said set shaped chocolate from said mold (xe2x80x9cde-moldingxe2x80x9d).
One disadvantage of the conventional molding process is the excessive time required to fill the mold, shake the mold to remove air pockets and solidify the chocolate to form a shaped piece. The cooling time required for molding chocolate products often exceeds 20 minutes for a small (about 1 g) piece, and 40 minutes for a large (about 100 g) piece. For complex shell molded products, which require numerous production steps, the total production time can be of the order of 1-2 hours. Demolding of molded chocolate products is typically accomplished by using impact force to free the products from the molds. The length of the molding cycle greatly reduces the efficiencies of such commercial production lines and requires the use of a large number of molds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,402 to Kaupert relates to a method and apparatus for producing chocolate forms in molding tools consisting of several parts which together define a molding cavity corresponding to the chocolate form to be produced, the cavity being closed except for an inlet opening through which heated chocolate is injected under pressure until the cavity is completely filled with chocolate. The solidification of the chocolate may be achieved by cooling the molding tool.
PCT Patent Publication WO 95/32633 to Aasted relates to a method for producing molded shells of fat-containing, chocolate-like masses wherein a mold cavity is filled with a mass and a cooling member having a temperature below 0xc2x0 C. is subsequently immersed in the mass to define a predetermined shell volume between the member and the mold cavity.
U.K. Patent publication GB 2 070 501 relates to making confections, such as chocolates and the like, of substantially uniform size. The method involves the steps of depositing a gob of flowable confectionery substance onto a surface, surrounding the gob in spaced relationship with an annular mold, exerting pressure upon the gob to cause the gob to spread apart and come into contact with the mold causing the gob to set so as to form a confectionery body in the mold and separating the confectionery body and the mold from one another. Pressure is exerted on the gob by a ram. It is advantageous if the annular mold has a hollow circumferential wall, and if a cooling fluid circulates through this hollow wall to create a cooling channel so as to obtain a rapid chilling (and thus setting) of the gob. The inner circumference of the mold may have any desired regular or irregular shape, depending upon what shape is desired to impose upon the finished confectionery body.
European Patent Application 0 589 820 to Aasted relates to a method for producing molded outer shells of fat-containing, chocolate-like masses wherein a mold cavity is filled with a tempered chocolate-like mass which solidifies from the mold cavity inwardly to form the outer shape of the shell, the temperature of the mold cavity being lower than the temperature of the tempered mass. The mold cavity is filled with a chocolate-like mass in an amount which is just slightly larger than the volume of the finished shell. A cooling member, which has preferably been cooled to xe2x88x9215 to xe2x88x9230xc2x0 C., is then immersed into the chocolate mass and kept in a fully immersed position for about 2 to 3 seconds. The chocolate-like mass will then rapidly solidify and readily release the cooling member, which can be lifted up and out of the mold of the cavity.
PCT Patent Publication WO 94/07375 to Cebula et al. relates to forming fat-containing products such as chocolate in molds at temperatures at or below 0xc2x0 C. to provide unforced demolding.
Thus, the development of methods which increase the speed and efficiencies of molded chocolate processing lines, while at the same time providing stable glossy molded chocolate confectionery products, would be a valuable addition to the art.
The above-identified methods of producing molded chocolate products using conventional molds and conventional molding practices are characterized by long cycle times, which decrease efficiency by requiring use of large numbers of molds and long cooling tunnels. It would therefore be highly desirable to provide a method of making molded products in a more efficient manner.
This invention relates to a method of preparing a stable molded chocolate product by the steps of: (a) depositing a chocolate composition containing a liquid fat phase onto a contacting surface of a mold, wherein the mold has an average temperature greater than about 10xc2x0 C.; (b) cooling the chocolate composition under conditions effective to produce an average cooling rate in a center of the chocolate composition of from about 3xc2x0 C./minute to about 10xc2x0 C./minute; and (c) removing the product from the mold.
In still another embodiment of this invention, fat-based confection product is molded by the steps of: (a) depositing a fat-based confection composition containing a liquid fat phase into a mold constructed of a material having a thermal conductivity greater than about 150 W/mxc2x0 C., more advantageously greater than about 200 W/mxc2x0 C., and having a temperature above about 10xc2x0 C.; and (b) cooling the mold to a temperature less than about xe2x88x925xc2x0 C. for a time sufficient to achieve complete demolding of the fat-based confection product.